Security Council drops LGBT rights from tribute to UN chief
UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council eliminated a reference to one of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's key achievements -- support for gay rights -- in a statement Wednesday paying tribute to the outgoing UN chief.
Council diplomats said Russia insisted on getting rid of the reference to LGBT rights.
The original statement, obtained by The Associated Press, said it was thanks to Ban "that women, young people, and the LGBT community have been heard and assisted, and today their voices sound louder and stronger in (UN) headquarters and around the world."
But the statement read at Wednesday's council tribute to Ban made no reference to the LGBT community, instead saying it was thanks to the secretary-general "that the most vulnerable or marginalized have been increasingly heard and assisted by the United Nations."
